_Piazza Sta. Croce. No. 1._
The name of Cocco di Donato occurs among the inhabitants of the
quarter of Sta. Croce in 1328, and his descendants, Borghini and
Francesco Cocchi, having made a large fortune in trade decided to build
themselves a fine house. From the friars of the abbey of Fiesole they
bought a house on the Piazza Sta. Croce and erected the palace we now
see, which came into the possession of Borghini’s nephews after his
death in 1474. It has often been attributed to Baccio d’Agnolo, and
Vasari names it amongst the fine palaces built in Florence after 1470,
but does not mention the architect. Signor Iodico Del Badia believes
that part of the original house bought from the friars was incorporated
with the more modern building; particularly the pilasters up to the
spring of the arches, and the jambs in Via de’ Cocchi.[27] These jambs
are supposed by some to be portions of the ancient walls of Florence
destroyed in 1078, placed by the Peruzzi at one end of the street which
traversed the old Roman amphitheatre. Cinelli however declares that the
Cocchi bought the palace from the Dei family, for whom it was built by
Raffaello del Bianco on the site of other houses and of the ancient
loggia de’ Risaliti.
In the XVIIth century it was enlarged by the addition of some small
houses in the rear, and remained in the possession of the Cocchi until
the last of the family, Maddalena, married Marchese Pucci. It now
belongs to her grandson Count Agostino Della Seta of Pisa.